'Honeymoon in Vegas' picks Toronto, 'Kinky Boots' eyes Chicago

The State of Illinois' new incentive program for out-of-town tryouts for Broadway shows has been attracting attention in Toronto, a city that competes aggressively with Chicago for such productions. The Toronto Globe and Mail reported last week that there is a move to create legislation that will match Chicago's program.

In the meantime, Toronto hung on to its upcoming, pre-Broadway tryout of the new Jason Robert Brown musical "Honeymoon in Vegas," even though that show is directed by the Chicago-based Gary Griffin.

According to a production source, "Kinky Boots, " a new Broadway-aimed musical with a score by Cyndi Lauper and a book by Harvey Fierstein, is eyeing Chicago for its upcoming Broadway tryout. The musical, produced by Daryl Roth, is based on the 2005 film set in a struggling British shoe factory that gets a new life producing fetish-oriented footware.

A Broadway in Chicago spokesperson said that the legislation has helped spark a lot of interest in Chicago tryouts, but that no deal has yet been inked with "Kinky Boots," which is expected to open on Broadway during the 2012-13 season (but has not yet announced firm dates or a theater).